Baseball batting practice device

ABSTRACT

A baseball practice device including vertical shafts, one above the other, and a friction clutch therebetween. A lateral arm on the upper shaft supports a ball on a cord on the extending end of the arm and the lower shaft is driven by a variable speed reversible electric motor. All of the named parts are mounted in a vertically movable frame. The frame does not turn, but there is a reversible motor and screw mechanism, also carried by the frame, which selectively adjusts the height of the latter and consequently the height of the arm. Preferably, the arm supporting the cord and ball is flexible; thus, the speed of the first-mentioned motor, by centrifugal force, determines the height of the ball from the ground. The two motors are driven at the same time from remote controls; thus, a batter does not know the elevation or speed of the ball when he swings a bat and tries to hit the ball as it approaches him.

United States Patent [451 Jan. 25, 1972 Allred [54] BASEBALL BATTING PRACTICE DEVICE [72] Inventor: Aubrey M. Allred, 7320 Oakland Ln., Fort Worth, Tex. 76118 [22] Filed: May 1, 1970 [21] Appl. No.: 33,810

[52] US. Cl ..273/26 E [5 l Int. Cl. ..A63b 69/40 [58] Field of Search ....273/26, 26 E, 29, 95 A [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,134,328 10/1938 Dickson ..273/26 E 3,166,316 1/1965 OLeary ..273/26 E 3,333,847 8/1967 Pennington ..273/26 E 3,408,070 10/1968 Gonzales et al. ..273/26 E Primary ExaminerRichard C. Pinkham Assistant Examiner-B. T. Brown Attorney-Wof'ford, Felsman & Fails [5 7] ABSTRACT A baseball practice device including vertical shafts, one above the other, and a friction clutch therebetween. A lateral arm on the upper shaft supports a ball on a cord on the extending end of the arm and the lower shaft is driven by a variable speed reversible electric motor. All of the named parts are mounted in a vertically movable frame. The frame does not turn, but there is a reversible motor and screw mechanism, also carried by the frame, which selectively adjusts the height of the latter and consequently the height of the arm. Preferably, the arm supporting the cord and ball is flexible; thus, the speed of the first-mentioned motor, by centrifugal force, determines the height of the ball from the ground. The two motors are driven at the same time from remote controls; thus, a batter does not know the elevation or speed of the ball when he swings a bat and tries to hit the ball as it approaches him.

6 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures BASEBALL BATTING PRACTICE DEVICE This invention relates to baseball practice devices and has reference to apparatus including a driven rotating and at least generally horizontal arm having a ball suspended by a cord on an extending end of the arm.

Devices of this general nature have been proposed heretofore but were not as versatile as the present invention.

The primary object of the invention is to provide a baseball practice device of such construction and operation that the batter will not know the elevation or speed of the ball until the ball is near him and whereby, by practice, he can develop his coordination.

Another object of the invention is to provide a baseball practice device including a frame having a reversible electric motor for rotating the frame in either direction.

A particular object is to provide an additional electric motor and screw mechanism for raising and lowering the entire frame including the rotating arm and ball suspended thereon.

A further object is to provide a variable torque electric I clutch in a vertical arm supporting shaft whereby the direction of the arm may change when the ball is hit, yet provide means for stopping the arm and then rotating the arm in the desired direction for practice.

These and other objects of the invention will become apparent from the following description and the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIG. 1 is a broken perspective view of a baseball practice batting device according to the invention without the motor and mechanism for raising and lowering the frame.

FIG. 2 is a perspective, partly shown in section, of the motor and mechanism for raising and lowering the frame. The actual location of the motor and mechanism illustrated in FIG. 2 is indicated by dashlines and relate to FIG. 1, and

FIG. 3 is a transverse broken sectional view of the upper portion of the frame showing the motor and mechanism for raising and lowering the frame.

In the form of the invention shown there is a base comprised of a central vertical stationary square tube 11 having lateral extensions 12 at the bottom. Diagonal braces 13 extend from the outer ends of the extensions 12 to the stationary tube 11, and screw-type feet 14 extend downwardly from the ends of the extensions so as to adjust the stationary tube in a vertical, or nearly vertical, position. A conforming cover 15 of sheet material may be provided over the braces 13. Handles for lifting and moving the device may be in the form of angle irons 16 across the ends of the extensions 12 and which irons have inverted U-shaped grips 17 secured to the irons.

Above base 10 there is a vertically movable frame 18 shaped like a truncated pyramid and comprised of generally vertical tubes 19 and horizontal tubes 20, all joined, as by welding, at their corners. The frame 18 is supported on a vertical upper square tube 21 which telescopically fits the stationary square tube 11 of the base 10. The frame 18 is covered with sheet material 13a. In the appended claims the telescoping tubes 11 and 21 are referred to as vertical supports. Secured to the upper square tube 21 near the lower end thereof there is a mounting plate 22 having parallel transverse upper and lower cross members 23 and 24. A variable speed reversible electric motor 25 is mounted on the crossmembers 23 and 24 and has a commercially available reduction gear 26 on its drive shaft, not shown. The output shaft 27 of the reduction gear is vertically disposed and has a drive sprocket 28 on its upper end for driving an endless sprocket chain 29. The chain 29 drives a vertical shaft 30 by means of a sprocket 31 near the shafts lower end, whereas the upper end of the shaft extends above the frame 18 where the shaft has a T-member 32 for supporting a laterally extending flexible arm 33. Clamps 34 around the T-member 32 secure the arm 33 in place. A baseball 35 is suspended on the extending end of the arm 33 by a cord 36. U-shaped brackets 37 are provided on the ends of the T-member for supporting an elongate inverted cupshaped cover 33.

There is a transverse crossmember 39, square in cross section, secured to the mounting plate 22 by upstanding members 40. There is a horizontal rectangular support 41 on the last referred to crossmember 39 and is offset with respect thereto to receive the vertical shaft 30. The shaft 30 is separated within a commercially available electrically controlled clutch 42 on the offset support 41. Above the support 41 and parallel with the crossmember 39 there is another crossmember 43 connected with the support 41 by a spacer 44. On the top of the crossmember 43 there are spaced vertical supports 45 and a crosspiece 46 across the tops thereof.

A subframe 47 for supporting an electric variable speed reversible motor 48 is mounted on and. near the upper end of the upper square tube 21 and is comprised of spaced upper and lower horizontal members 49 and 50 and vertical members 51 at their ends. A horizontal plate 52 connects the lower subframe member 50 with the upper vertical square tube 21 and braces 53 connect the vertical subframe members 51 with the spaced vertical supports 45. Pillow block bearings 54 are mounted on the top crosspiece 46 and crossmembers 43 and 23 for rotatably supporting the vertical shaft 30.

Referring now to FIGS. 2 and 3, the motor 48 includes a reduction gear 55 and a depending threaded shaft 56 which engages a threaded nut 57 fixed in the lower square tube 11. A bearing 58 is mounted on the horizontal plate 52 and there is a smooth bore guide block 59 on the top of the upper vertically movable square tube 21. Angular braces 60 connect the support crossmember 39 with the vertical frame members 19 to prevent the frame 18 from rotating.

In operation the lower motor 25 operates in a direction for use by either a right-hand or left-hand batter. Rotation of the arm 33, by centrifugal force, causes the ball 35 to swing outwardly. If the ball 35 is struck by the batter the clutch 42 allows the arm 33 to swing in the opposite direction. However, energy applied to the clutch 42 quickly slows rotation of the arm 33 and the motor 25 again swings the arm in the desired direction. While the arm 33 is rotating the entire frame 18 may be raised and lowered by the upper motor 48 by remote control 71, FIG. 2.

The invention is not limited to the exemplary construction herein shown and described, but may be made in various ways within the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A baseball practice device comprising a base, a vertical stationary support thereon, a second vertical support slidably mounted on the first said support, means preventing relative rotation between the two said supports, a vertical shaft rotatably carried by the second said support and extending thereabove, a laterally extending arm on the extending portion of said shaft, a ball tethered on the extending end of said arm, means rotating said shaft and means raising and lowering the second said support relative to said stationary support.

2. A baseball practice device as definedin claim 1 and wherein said means rotating said vertical shaft includes a motor and reduction gear carried by the second said vertical support, a drive sprocket having a vertical axis driven by said reduction gear, a sprocket on said vertical shaft and an endless drive chain connecting the two said sprockets, and an electrically controlled clutch in said vertical shaft above the sprocket thereon.

3. A baseball practice device as defined in claim 1 and wherein said means raising and lowering said second vertical support includes a reversible motor mounted near the upper portion thereof, a reduction gear driven by the motor, a depending screw driven by the reduction gear and a fixed nut carried by the first said vertical support and threadedly receiving said depending screw.

4. A baseball practice device as defined in claim 1 wherein said means raising and lowering the second said support relative to said stationary support is operable during rotation of said shaft for effecting a change in elevation during batting practice.

said powered means comprises a reversible electric motor that is drivingly connected with one element of a screw elementnut element combination so as to effect respective directional rotation of said one element for raising and lowering the second said support with respect to said stationary support. 

1. A baseball practice device comprising A base, a vertical stationary support thereon, a second vertical support slidably mounted on the first said support, means preventing relative rotation between the two said supports, a vertical shaft rotatably carried by the second said support and extending thereabove, a laterally extending arm on the extending portion of said shaft, a ball tethered on the extending end of said arm, means rotating said shaft and means raising and lowering the second said support relative to said stationary support.
 2. A baseball practice device as defined in claim 1 and wherein said means rotating said vertical shaft includes a motor and reduction gear carried by the second said vertical support, a drive sprocket having a vertical axis driven by said reduction gear, a sprocket on said vertical shaft and an endless drive chain connecting the two said sprockets, and an electrically controlled clutch in said vertical shaft above the sprocket thereon.
 3. A baseball practice device as defined in claim 1 and wherein said means raising and lowering said second vertical support includes a reversible motor mounted near the upper portion thereof, a reduction gear driven by the motor, a depending screw driven by the reduction gear and a fixed nut carried by the first said vertical support and threadedly receiving said depending screw.
 4. A baseball practice device as defined in claim 1 wherein said means raising and lowering the second said support relative to said stationary support is operable during rotation of said shaft for effecting a change in elevation during batting practice.
 5. A baseball practice device as defined in claim 4 wherein said means raising and lowering the second said support relative to said stationary support comprises a powered means that is responsively connected with and responsive to a remote control.
 6. A baseball practice device as defined in claim 5 wherein said powered means comprises a reversible electric motor that is drivingly connected with one element of a screw element-nut element combination so as to effect respective directional rotation of said one element for raising and lowering the second said support with respect to said stationary support. 